Episode 09 – There Is No Second Time
Dok So-gong clutched his severed right arm and stumbled backward. His eyes were locked on the sword.
A pitch-black blade with a blue orb embedded in its hilt.
The sword floated, suspended in mid-air.
A gasp of horror leaked through his teeth.
“Sword flight…!”
Sword flight.
A technique that symbolizes the Transcendent Peak realm, where a sword is wielded not by hand, but solely by one’s will.
“N-No way! You’re only in your early thirties, how can you possibly use sword flight?! Not even the Murim Alliance Leader of that age could attain such a realm, yet you…!”
At the Transcendent Peak level, poisons like dispersal poison or paralysis poison naturally had no effect. That’s how transcendently high the realm was.
“Th-Then it must be a trick! It’s a trick!”
As if denying the reality before him, Dok So-gong shook his head and shouted.
But Sado Hwan ignored Dok So-gong’s rationalization, and continued speaking calmly, as if everything was obvious.
“Dok So-gong, you’ve just committed three more crimes.”
Sado Hwan’s voice was heavy, as though rising from the depths of the earth, and it lingered in Dok So-gong’s ears without dispersing.
It was a sentence.
“First, you insulted me, Sado Hwan, heir of the Sado clan.”
Sado Hwan extended his arm.
It was a natural motion, as if the paralysis poison had never affected him in the first place.
His body, metaphorically, was like a vessel filled to the brim with inner energy. There was no room for foreign substances like paralysis or dispersal poison to seep in.
Moreover, the cultivation method he practiced wasn’t ordinary.
Because of that, he was essentially immune to most poisons.
As proof, the pitch-black sword that had been floating in the air flew into Sado Hwan’s hand with ease.
“Second, you insulted the Black Shadow Corps of the Cult.”
Fear spread across Dok So-gong’s face.
‘It really is sword flight…!’
It was a realm beyond reach. As someone at best just entering the Peak level, he had no chance of victory no matter what trick he tried.
‘Damn it! I thought the rumors were exaggerated!’
Sado Hwan was so famous that even someone like Dok So-gong, who hadn’t been in the Cult long, had heard of him.
He was the heir to one of the six demonic families, a master of profound martial arts, and even said to be a prodigy in poetry, calligraphy, and painting.
It made no sense. Human talent had limits.
Rumors were usually exaggerated anyway, so Dok So-gong assumed the same about Sado Hwan.
He thought rankings in the Cult meant nothing in real battle.
But the rumors had not been exaggerated.
In fact, they had been understated.
Nowhere had it ever been said that Sado Hwan had reached the Transcendent Peak level.
‘I need to run…!’
He had lost his right arm, the lifeline of any martial artist, but that was nothing compared to losing his actual life.
‘I have to retrieve the Black Crow Fan…!’
Whether Sado Hwan knew what he was thinking or not, he continued speaking calmly.
“And most of all, lastly, you dared to defile the name of our Cult’s sovereign with your vile tongue. The name Heavenly Demon is too sacred for the likes of you to utter.”
“Shit!”
Dok So-gong pivoted sharply on his toes. His feet swept the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. At the same time, he pulled something from his robe and hurled it at the ground.
Boom—!
From the object Dok So-gong had thrown, a thick gray fog rapidly spread.
He kicked off the ground. The light footwork technique he had mastered allowed him to move freely even in jungles infested with venomous insects.
He glanced behind.
Already, the thirty-zhang area behind him was completely covered in fog, making visibility nonexistent.
Sado Hwan and the Black Shadow Corps were hidden within the fog.
“A poison mist made from southern jungle venom bugs! Even my master loses his senses in it—this should buy me enough time to escape…”
But at that moment—
Crunch!
A sharp pain erupted from his back. Dok So-gong looked down.
A pitch-black sword was jutting out of his body.
“How…?!”
It was obvious.
Qi sense was a perception limited to humans—detecting energy through their own senses.
Skybreaker Sword, being a sword, was free from such human limitations. Piercing through mist to find its target was trivial.
And it didn’t stop there.
“…Huh?”
The embedded sword pulsed. When he came to his senses, Dok So-gong realized that all of his inner energy was being sucked into the sword.
Like desert sand thirsting for water, it was being drained at an alarming rate.
“U-Uaaaaaahhh!”
His scream echoed through the forest, sending birds flapping into the sky.
He reached for the sword to pull it out, but that only served to widen the path for the energy drain.
Skybreaker Sword devoured his inner energy even more voraciously.
“Huaaahh—”
Before long, Dok So-gong lost the ability to speak. Only shallow gasps escaped his lips.
And finally—
His head slumped forward, his body shriveled dry like a mummy.
Skybreaker Sword spun lightly and flew back to Sado Hwan.
Sado Hwan, sword in hand, vanished into the fog behind the Black Shadow Corps, and soon returned.
In his hand was a black fan.
“Dok So-gong is dead. He dried up from his own poison.”
He clicked his tongue slightly.
The members of the Black Shadow Corps stood frozen, like statues, blinking silently.
On their faces were mixed expressions of awe, shock, and shame.
“Black Shadow Corps, listen.”
Sado Hwan spoke.
“Have you become drunk on the name of the Cult’s military force?”
“What nonsense is that? Dok So-gong was only Peak level. Do you think it makes sense for all of you, who are merely first-rate, to be defeated like this?”
The corps members wore expressions of deep regret.
Of course, the Black Crow Fan that Dok So-gong had tried to steal was such a powerful weapon that it had rendered them helpless.
Had they been prepared in advance, they wouldn’t have fallen so easily.
“That’s why I didn’t tell you in advance.”
Only Sado Hwan and Saweol had known about Dok So-gong and the Black Crow Fan. Having the Cult’s treasure stolen was a humiliating matter, so limiting the information had been necessary.
Thanks to that, the dramatic performance was possible.
“Do not forget today’s humiliation. Swallow your pride and train harder—so that I won’t have to draw my sword again.”
Normally, they would’ve responded with a resounding “Loyalty!” but with their bodies paralyzed, they could only respond with burning eyes.
“As soon as the paralysis wears off, reorganize the formation. Retrieve Dok So-gong’s head and seal it in a box.”
With that said, Sado Hwan moved toward the carriage again.
Saweol stood in his path.
She was paralyzed not by the poison—but by a different reason.
“It’s real.”
She hadn’t been sure after the incident in the cave. She thought it might have been a trick with strings, or some strange sorcery.
But even that suspicion had been swept away just now.
Even setting aside the sword flight, just the fact that he was unaffected by dispersal poison and paralysis poison said enough about Sado Hwan’s level.
“He’s been hiding his power until now.”
That was the only plausible explanation.
Because of that, Saweol was frozen in place. She had no idea what to do.
As Sado Hwan passed her, he stopped walking.
“It was a good attempt.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Trying to test me.”
“?!”
Saweol’s eyes widened in surprise.
“But there will not be a second time.”
“…Why not?”
Saweol asked Sado Hwan again.
“Why have you been hiding your strength all this time?”
“Don’t be mistaken, Saweol. Questions are not for the weak. They are a right of the strong.”
Sado Hwan spoke coldly. The contempt and indifference in his eyes made Saweol grit her teeth.
“…I will keep that in mind.”
“Good.”
Sado Hwan patted her on the shoulder.
“We have things to talk about eventually. Let’s save the rest for then.”
With that, Sado Hwan entered the carriage again.
Saweol’s wide eyes followed his back as he walked away.
“…Haa.”
Her sigh was heavy with frustration.
***
I finally exhaled the breath I’d been holding. At the same time, I released the inner energy I had kept flowing.
My tense body sagged.
“I did it.”
Goosebumps rippled across my skin. A wave of catharsis hit me.
The performance had succeeded.
I had completely deceived both an enemy who sought my life and a subordinate who suspected me.
“Hhhp…?”
To be honest, tears almost welled up, but I barely held them back.
The urge to confront those who had ignored me during auditions disappeared entirely.
There was no need anymore.
I had proven myself.
At this crossroad of life and death, in this place, with my own will and ability, I seized life.
With nothing but acting.
I had never felt so vividly alive.
The world may be different, the environment unfamiliar—but here, I was alive, and I could act.
[You look… satisfied.]
Skybreaker Sword spoke to me.
“By your standards, yeah. You could say I’ve reached enlightenment.”
[An enlightenment… a monster like you.]
“Anyway, this proves it. We can do this, Skybreaker.”
Skybreaker Sword wobbled its tip in agreement.
“Hoo…”
I let out a breath and shook off my emotions. The emotional high was intense, but I couldn’t get drunk on it.
This was the ruthless <Return of the Murim> world. One must never let their guard down.
Now, it was time to calmly assess what I had gained.
First—Skybreaker Sword.
‘How much internal energy have you gathered?’
[If used sparingly, I can unleash about half a stroke of sword energy.]
Skybreaker Sword’s energy was rechargeable. To use its sword energy, it needed to absorb human internal energy.
And not just any inner energy. Judging from what it absorbed from Morong-su and Dok So-gong, it seemed to devour something even more fundamental.
‘It must be something like innate primal qi.’
It had probably drained the very essence of life itself—that’s why they’d ended up like that.
It was something taboo since the “Heavenly Demon Blood Massacre,” but when survival was on the line, I had no reason not to use it.
Still, by modern ethical standards, it was disgusting—so I made a rule for myself.
To use it only against villains like Dok So-gong.
That included those trying to kill me.
[Still… it feels unpleasant.]
‘What does?’
[Morong-su’s energy was pure and clean. But this guy’s energy is muddy and chaotic. It’s like drinking cheap street liquor after savoring fine wine.]
“Really? Show me the sword energy.”
Skybreaker Sword released its energy.
Unlike before, when it emitted a clear and transparent blue glow, this time it was murky—almost grayish black.
‘Orthodox sects are pure, unorthodox sects are tainted…’
A phenomenon true to the worldbuilding of <Return of the Murim>.
‘I’m grateful I can use sword energy at all… but I shouldn’t let it show openly.’
[Agreed. If the color of your energy fluctuates like this, people will find it suspicious.]
It’s not like I can pretend to draw sword energy like others. And people in this world aren’t fools—if they gather enough clues, they might realize that Skybreaker absorbs energy.
Then I’d instantly become a public enemy of the martial world. Even within the Cult.
That’s why I declared, “He dried up from his own poison.”
Moving on—second, the Black Crow Fan.
A black fan made of the feathers of a spiritual beast. Probably inspired by Zhuge Liang’s “White Feather Fan” from Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Thankfully, it wasn’t powered by internal energy. In <Return of the Murim>, even a scholar with no martial ability had used it.
[But why are you so obsessed with that fan? It’s just a poison tool.]
‘That “just” poison tool incapacitated the entire Black Shadow Corps. Don’t underestimate it.’
Martial arts stories tend to look down on poison because it's an external aid, not self-cultivated strength.
That held true in <Return of the Murim> as well.
Even though they had just been completely paralyzed by it.
Maybe Dok So-gong’s inferiority complex came from such societal views.
“Anyway, half the work of acting is all about setting the mood.”
[Setting the mood, huh. Well, you did act smug to the point of secondhand embarrassment.]
“I just got caught up in the moment. Anyway, crafting the right situation is all about atmosphere.”
[So what?]
‘This fan is perfect for that atmosphere.’
Plus, I got a pouch of poison off Dok So-gong to go with it. He’d even kindly labeled the poisons with names and effects.
Skybreaker Sword still swayed like it didn’t get it.
But it wouldn’t take long to see just how effective it would be.